Morning journal and courier., 1887-11-05
THE WoRkun,rsD. n-e---

! Strongly Favored by Promtuarr St.s l Zens-Cogent Reasons for Fta rczt.L, lfshment-The Committee yyttI Roo ommend Et.
 E The committee on Workhouse which yyos appointed at the last town meeting to con. sider the advisability of establishing work \ house met at the City Hall last evening. Several persons interested in the subject ! were present and expressed their views, giv. l ing considerable interesting information The committee will in all probability recon mend that woEkhouse be established and will so report at the December town meeting Professor Francis Wayland strongly favor ed the project. He spoke in a general man ! ner of the great benefits to be derived He thought that immense benefit could be de- ! rived from it as g reformatory institution It would create habits of self-respect, indug- try, etc.
 ] Judge WaYland referred to statistics of places where inebriates are kept They showed that long period is Recessarv to re- form inebriates. A year at Beast was neces- sary. Long terms of service and ten hours g day of good wholesome labor would do much towards freeing our courts of criminals. He also thought that not only would the city be benefited by workhouse, but the families of the unfortunates would not be thrown wholly on the town. Az it is now drunken loafer goes to jail for few months and at once goes back to his old haunts and eats up the sustenance of his wife who has been out washing all day to buy bread for herself and children. These men are able to work and there is work which ought to be done.
 Town Agent James Reynolds spoke in fla vor of workhouse. He had previously given
 his opinion in detail to the committee and L. I-so opinion would not only be benefited, but
 the class who would go there would derive
 an immense benefit, much more so than is
 derived from the jail where the punishment
 is not sufficient.
 Judge Rufus s. Pickett expressed his fa-
 vorable opinion of the project in forcible language. In his official position le has ou-
 portunity to observe the class which would
 occupy the workhouse, and in his opinion g
 workhouse would be a blessing to the com
 m0nity and to the unfortunates sent there He advocated that those now sent from the City court to the jail for drunkenness, wife beating, etc., be obliged to do the work now performed by the park laborers at East Rock. He believed that suitable stone house could be erected in the near vicinity l There's nothing that will straighten and 1e- form them like hard work. It would not be repulsive to the public eye to see these men employed at the Rock. as they would pre- sent fully as good an appearance as those employed there now. East Rock Park could be beautifed and the whole system would be l reciprocating if properly organized. He be- lieved that 3,010 days work could be ob- tained by the city if workhouse was estab- lished and the unfortunates could earn some- thing, say fifty cents day, for their fami~ lies It would be great improvement on the present jail system. Enforced industry for good period would make new men of the drinkers and loafers. It would be a great saving of money and benefit to the city.
 Attorney Henry c. White spoke in favor of workhouse and also advocated that house be established centrally whereby the lodgers who receive admittance to the police office could be provided for, after which they should render an equivalent. He spoke of the sue cess that had been met with elsewhere in the establishing of such places. The tramp and loafer element would shun the city if obliged to work for their lodging. He thought that only persons unable to care for themselves should receive admittance to the almshouse. He spoke of the outside poor system, which he did not believe in, and gave as his req sone that he had been informed authorita- lively that instead of relieving it increased pauperisn and, that outside poor relief had been cut off from several cities with the most beneficial results.
 Dr. c. B. Adams was strongly in favor of 8
 workhouse and thought East Rock Park a good place to locate it.